The Top 15 Point Guards in College Basketball

15. Kevin Pangos, So., Gonzaga:  A guy from the WCC who’s averaging 10.6 points and 4 assists is one of the top point guards in the country?  Yes.  For one, this obviously isn’t your average WCC team, or even your average Gonzaga team because they are a legit Final Four contender this season.  The man with the ball in his hands the vast majority of the time is Pangos, a Canadian with maybe the quickest release in the country and who’s only turned the ball over 15 times in 9 games, all Gonzaga wins.  He also tends to have his best games against the toughest opponents.

Cooper will try to lead the Bobcats back to the Sweet 16

14. D.J. Cooper, Sr., Ohio: This little left-hander has had quite a career already.  Not only is he on his way to well over 2,000 points but he’s also already the school’s all-time leader in assists and steals.  And beyond the personal achievements, he led the team to a an upset of 3-seed Georgetown as a freshman, and then led his team all the way to the Sweet 16 last year, with wins over Michigan and USF.  He’s averaging 15 points/7 assists this year, and while his turnovers are high, he’s shooting 35% from 3, which is a big improvement over his career average.

13. Tray Woodall, Sr., Pittsburgh:  Woodall doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, and that’s largely because of the shockingly bad season Pitt had last year, which was in large part due to Woodall being injured and not fully healthy when he did play.  The Brooklyn-native was the classic NYC point guard in his first couple of years: short but quick and tough.  He’s now added shooting range, shooting a shade under 40% from 3 over the last two seasons.  He’s averaging 14 points this year with an assist/turnover ratio of 3.3, which is a big part of the reason Pitt leads the nation in that statistic.

12. Ray McCallum, Jr., Detroit:  Definitely not your typical mid-major point guard, McCallum was a high school All-American who opted for Detroit because his dad happens to be the head coach.  After leading his team to the Horizon tournament title last year, he appears to have taken his game up another notch.  He’s got NBA athleticism and, so far this year, he’s showing the shooting stroke that he’ll need to match with that natural ability if he’s going to play at the next level.  He’s averaging just under 20 points, along with 4.5 assists and 5 rebounds, while shooting 37% from 3, up from just 24% last season.

11. Peyton Siva, Sr., Louisville: Siva is a tough guy to place on the rankings of the top guards, partly because the statistics will never blow you away, but when you watch Louisville play and see how often they win and how important he is to everything they do, you realize he belongs in the conversation somewhere.  He’s small and has never developed much of a jump shot, but he has one of the quickest first steps in the game, great vision when he gets in the lane (which is just about whenever he wants), and a constant pest at the defensive end, despite that lack of size.  He’s averaging 11 points/6 assists this year.

10. Nate Wolters, Sr., South Dakota St.:  It’s easy to see a guy putting up 21 points a game in the Summit League and dismiss him, but the fact is that Wolters very well might be higher on this list if he was playing in a major conference.  The stats are pretty staggering, with averages so far this season of 21 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 steals.  After shooting it well from 3 his first two years, he shot just 24% last year (still averaging 21 points), but that number is back up to 42% this year.  And he’s done it, repeatedly, against top competition, with 19 points vs. Baylor in the tournament last year, and 30 (on 10-15 shooting) vs. Alabama in the first game of this season.

9. Keith Appling, Jr., Michigan St.:  One of the things that is largely lacking from this list is shutdown, on-the-ball defenders, and with the combination of his strength and quickness, and being coached by Tom Izzo for the last few years, Appling fits the bill.  He’s shown improvement across the board this year, taking over as the best player on the team from the departed Draymond Green.  He’s averaging 14.5 points and continues to improve his playmaking skills.

8. Matthew Dellavedova, Sr., Saint Mary’s:  A role-playing starter on the team that went to the Sweet 16 three years ago, Dellavedova is now the reigning WCC Player of the Year, and is taking his game up another notch so far in his senior year.  The Australian would never be accused of being smooth, but what makes up for that with a hard-nosed style and a much-improved shooting stroke this season.  He’s averaging 18.5 points/5.5 assists, while shooting 45% from 3 and 92% at the free throw line so far in 2012.

7. Pierre Jackson, Sr., Baylor:  The JUCO Player of the Year two years ago, Jackson arrived at Baylor last year and made an immediate name for himself.  He’s listed generously at 5-10 and will never be a totally trustworthy decision-maker, but he is an absolute blur of speed that is especially devastating in the open-court.  To go along with that incredible speed with the ball, he’s also proven to be a solid perimeter shooter, even if his percentages are down so far this year.  He’s averaging just under 20 points with 6.5 assists for the Bears.

6. Phil Pressey, Jr., Missouri:  Coming into this season, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Pressey ended up at the top of this list, but he’s had some struggles as he adapts to life without running mates like Marcus Denmon and Kim English.  In his last three games he’s shot 7-29 from the field against low-level competition, and he had 13 turnovers in back-to-back games at the Battle 4 Atlantis tourney last month.  The 6-foot lefty has great quickness, maybe the best ball-handling skills in the nation, and excellent court vision.  Look for the struggles he’s had to dissipate as he continues to adjust to this new team.  He’s averaging 13 points/6 assists and shooting 38% from 3.

The future looks bright for Smart

5. Marcus Smart, Fr., Oklahoma St.:  The only freshman on this list, Smart is also the most unconventional point guard listed here.  I was so impressed with him when I saw him for the first time this year, that I’m not even sure I can objectively rate where he belongs on this list.  In that game, vs. NC State, his stat line was 20 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks.  The guy is a force of nature, with a body that looks more like a 25-year-old NBA player, and the athleticism to go with it.  He reminds me of James Harden, only Harden played small forward in college.  OK State has decided to put the ball in Smart’s hands, and it’s not hard to see why.  Yes, he’s going to turn the ball over more than he should, at least this year, but he’s also averaging 13.5 points/5 assists/7.5 rebounds/2.6 steals and over a block a game.

4. Aaron Craft, Jr., Ohio St.:  Craft ranked 4th on this list last year, and it kind of makes sense for him to stay in the same spot.  That’s the kind of point guard he is: very steady and consistent.  When it comes to the position tasked with taking care of the ball, getting it to teammates at the right place and time, and being a coach on the floor, steady and consistent is a huge asset.  Craft doesn’t turn the ball over, he takes what the defense gives him as far drives to the basket or, more often, finding a teammate, and at the other end of the floor he plays arguably the best perimeter defense of any player in the country.

3. Michael Carter-Williams, So., Syracuse: No point guard’s stock has shot up through the first month of the season like Carter-Williams’.  After not being able to get off the bench much a year ago, all he’s doing is leading the nation in assists (and it’s not even close, at 10.4 a game) and is 3rd in the nation in steals (3.8).  And just for good measure, he’s also grabbing 5.5 rebounds a game, and chipping in 12 points.  At 6-6 with pro-level athleticism, Carter-Williams is a matchup problem for most college points, and also becoming a real force at the top of Jim Boeheim’s zone defense.

2. Isaiah Canaan, Sr., Murray St.: Absolutely one of the premier scorers in college basketball, Canaan is a score-first point that led his team to a 31-2 season last year, and a win in the 1st Round of the tournament.  He has the best combination in the country of quickness off the bounce and lights-out perimeter shooting.  Even with every team focused on stopping him, he’s still averaging 21 points this year, while shooting 49% from the field and 43% from 3.  He’s also cut down on his turnovers this year, as he works on his playmaking skills in hopes of catching on with an NBA team next year, despite his lack of size.

1. Trey Burke, So., Michigan: There was no obvious choice for the top spot on this list, but Burke gets the nod because he’s simply the most complete point guard in the country this year.  Top-notch quickness? Check. Reliable jump shot? Check. Ability to ball handle in traffic? Check. Court vision? Check. Leading a title contender to an undefeated start to the season? Check.  He could use some improvement defensively, but he’s not a liability there.  Michigan has definitely been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, and so much of that is thanks to Burke and his 17 points/7 assists a game.

Honorable Mentions:

Jordan Hulls, Indiana- Maybe belongs on the list, but is playing a lot of 2-guard with freshman Yogi Ferrell around

Lorenzo Brown, NC State- Played his way off this list so far this season, but still has the talent

Elijah Johnson, Kansas- Making the switch from 2-guard to the point this year

Chaz Williams, UMass- A speedy, little guy in the Woodall mold

Will Cherry, Montana- Hasn’t played yet this year due to injury

Anthony Collins, USF- High assist numbers and a strong defender

Ryan Boatright, UConn- Has pushed Shabazz Napier off the ball and off this list

Quinn Cook, Duke- The fact that he’s even getting a mention here goes a long toward explaining why Duke’s been the most impressive team in the country so far